Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Carlsbad’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Carlsbad at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carlsbad’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carlsbad’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Carlsbad feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from Carlsbad Palomar Airport, Carlsbad’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 0.4 miles from the city’s center point, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carlsbad’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 36°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Oceanside Marina, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carlsbad
71% of the work is heating. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Carlsbad Palomar Airport.
Living with Carlsbad’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 77, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 135 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carlsbad from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carlsbad and its neighbors
Lake San Marcos has the coldest January nights next door (45°, 2° colder) and San Marcos the hottest July afternoons (82°, 5° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Carlsbad’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad, CA | 47° | 77° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Carlsbad averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 112,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Carlsbad compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carlsbad’s place among California’s.
Carlsbad weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carlsbad’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oceanside Marina, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| February | 66° | 47° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 67° | 49° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| April | 69° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 70° | 56° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| June | 73° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 77° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 76° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 72° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 66° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| Year | 72° | 54° | 11.3" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 64°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Carlsbad’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Carlsbad’s center.
- Snow: Oceanside Marina, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carlsbad Palomar Airport, 0.4 miles from the city’s center point, 130 ft higher; the city’s official station.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Carlsbad’s climate
What is the weather like in Carlsbad?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carlsbad in winter?
December nights average 46°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Carlsbad get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Oceanside Marina, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carlsbad?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 63°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Carlsbad Palomar Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Carlsbad?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 1% of winters at Carlsbad Palomar Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Carlsbad in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 36°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carlsbad?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Carlsbad getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carlsbad.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.